Home

Winter is Coming

Winter has arrived and with it inclement weather that may force the closure of schools and/or the cancellation of bus service.   Staff in Transportation Services are on alert when snow storms are forecasted.  Early in the morning Consortium transportation staff review if roads are passable, and the current and predicted temperatures & weather conditions across the City.   Contact is made with bus carriers regarding concerns they may have regarding road conditions for the safety of their drivers and possibility of buses not starting due to extreme cold temperatures.  A decision is made regarding the cancellation of bus service and a recommendation is made to the Directors of both Boards who ultimately make the decision to cancel transportation.    When inclement weather is forecasted parents should listen to radio & television stations for a public service announcement which will  inform parents about school closures and transportation cancellations.

Parents & schools can check the TDSB, TCDSB, or TSTG web sites to see if a notice has been posted regarding cancellation of transportation or contact the bus carrier directly to find out if bussing  has been cancelled.  Bus delays are reported on the Consortium website and are updated by our transportation providers on an on-going basis.  If parents are concerned about inclement weather, they have the right to keep their child at home (especially in the case of medically fragile students or students who currently are on the bus for extended length of time) even if transportation is not cancelled by the School Board.   The travel time for students may easily double or triple depending on how the weather has impacted traffic in the city.  Children should be dressed appropriately for the colder weather, in the event of an unexpected mechanical problems with the bus which may occur more frequently at this time of the year.   You can also review more information on Winter Safety at Bus Stops on the TDSB, TCDSB, TSTG web site on the Transportation page.